


The Dust In Our Tread

by cassieoh



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: M/M, jpl got me feeling all the space things today and i'm gonna inflict that on you all, mars rovers, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassieoh/pseuds/cassieoh
Summary: Aziraphale wakes Crowley from an extended nap to witness an important milestone for the humans.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 47





	The Dust In Our Tread

“Hundreds of thousands of lines of code, seventy-nine pyrotechnic devices, each have to work perfectly. One critical wire short or one key thing, the mechanism doesn’t work or it breaks and it’s mission over. So, it’s you know, and, and it’s very easy, we’re human beings, we’re not perfect. Mistakes can be made. 

We each count on each other to find our own mistakes and we, we work very hard to to learn from the mistakes of the past. We’ve had many failures, half, we remind people that roughly half, around half of the missions to mars over history have failed. And so, it’s, it’s, that could happen today too. Even though we’ve had a nice wonderful string of successes in the United States it’s still a, a, still a bit of a gamble. A gamble that we have hoped we erred on the side of luck and and and we’ve stacked the deck and loaded the dice to make this thing succeed. 

But uh, if we do fail and something bad happens today I can tell you we’re going to learn. Well have the data to tell us what happened, we’ll know why, we’ll figure it out and and if we are allowed we will pick ourselves up and get us back on the horse and if congress and NASA allow, we will try again. 

As we always do we will learn from our mistakes.”

Rob Manning, JPL Chief Engineer 

  
  


It’s time to wake up, dear. 

Mgph. 

Yes, I’m sure. Now, come along. 

‘Zirphle? Whazat? 

Of course it’s me. Who else would it be? I know you’re a deep sleeper but really. 

Gah! That’s- Shit! That’s fucking bright!

Well, if you’d gotten up when I poked you this wouldn’t be necessary. 

S’cruel and unusual. 

No, no. Do not… Crowley please do stop trying to smother yourself.

Dissscorporation’s kinder than that bloody light. 

Have you always been this dramatic? 

Yesss. 

…

…

Gimme a hand? Feet aren’t quite feet yet. 

Of course. Here. 

Hn. 

You’re welcome. 

Didn’t say thank you.

Didn’t you? I saw that smile. 

Ugh, you’re insufferable in the morning. 

It’s 8:30 at night, dear.

Time’s a circle. It’s always morning. 

I’m not one of your philosophers, Crowley. 

No, you’re my angel. 

Charming devil. Of course time isn’t real, but clocks are and I’m afraid you’ll not win an argument against them. 

Blgh. 

Quite. Now come along, there’s not much time left. 

Wha- Oh coffee! Did you… Aziraphale, have you managed to work my television?

I’m not a complete fool, Crowley. I do have a personal computer, you know. I know how technology works. 

Well, yeah. But, this tv’s like. Meant to be awful. I was hoping it would… Erg, nevermind. 

What? Ah, pass the quilt? Thank you. Are you warm enough? 

Yeah, you’re always warm. 

… 

…

…

Mmah, wait. 

Wha- no. That was nice. I want to do that more. Why’d you wake me up if you’re just gonna kiss me and then stop kissing me? That’s cruel! I will report you, who do I repor-

…

Okay, I could be persuaded to keep this between us. 

Oh could you? 

Provided you’re willing to bribe me a bit more. 

Ha, in a bit dear. Watch the television. Now, where did that blasted remote go? 

Ah, think I’m sitting on it. Here. 

Oh, bless you, dear. 

Ach, nasty. Oi, I see that smile you bastard. You know that makes me taste sardines. I fucking hate sardines. 

Shush and come here. Here, make sure your feet are covered. I do wish you’d nap in socks. Your poor feet. 

S’undignified. 

You drool. 

Shuddup. 

Yes, dear. 

…

…

…

…

Aziraphale, are they- Oh, someone, they’re doing it?

From what I understand, they’re going to try. 

How long?

Just a few minutes left now I think. 

Did we miss the peanuts? That one was one of mine you know. 

The peanuts? 

Yeah, well. No. Not exactly them. It was just. They kept trying and trying and it wasn’t demonic, I know that. But. They were, just, it… 

They were trying to fly and kept falling. 

Ugh, no don’t look at me like that. I will go back to sleep and that’s a promise. 

…

…

What are the peanuts? 

Ahh, so they’d failed a lot. I told Hell that I needed them to succeed to keep the Cold War going, good for business that one was, so I… maybe… helped one of the missions along. A guy had peanuts for a snack that day and they kind of thought that it was the peanuts that made it work. Didn’t really see the point in arguing. 

And now they-

Eat peanuts before every big thing. Ah see! There!

…

…

Do you remember the first of these we watched together? 

Heh, yeah. Bit warmer then. 

Well, it was Florida, dear. You wore such awful clothes. 

It was the sixties! In Florida! I looked good. And I wasn’t sweating my wings off, unlike some angels I could mention. 

Well, I wasn’t exactly sweating either. 

Yeah, yeah, you dirty cheat. 

Oh! It looks like it’s time? 

Yeah! Gosh, it never gets old. 

What?

Seeing them do this. Asking their questions-

Finding their answers. I see what you mean, love. 

…

…

…

…

  
  
  
  


“We made it this far. Now, watch us go.”

John McNamee, Mars 2020 Perseverance project manager 


End file.
